Steve Goodier Wisdom: Driving Away the Shadows

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

When Abraham Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865, he was carrying two pairs of spectacles and a lens polisher, a pocketknife, a watch fob, a linen handkerchief, and a brown leather wallet containing a five-dollar Confederate note and several newspaper clippings on the Lincoln presidency.

Why did he keep the newspaper clippings? Some of them extol his achievements as president of the United States. In one, Henry Ward Beecher is quoted in a speech as saying, “Abraham Lincoln may be a great deal less testy and wilful (sic) than Andrew Jackson, but in the long race, I do not know that he will be equal to him.” The reporter then writes, “The storm of applause that followed this seemed as if it would never cease.” Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: A Hero For Our Time

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

You may be acquainted with a real-life hero!

An American tourist in Tel Aviv was about to enter the impressive Mann Auditorium to take in a concert by the Israel Philharmonic. He was admiring the unique architecture, the sweeping lines of the entrance, and the modern decor throughout the building. Finally he turned to his escort and asked if the building was named for Thomas Mann, the world famous author.

“No,” his friend said, “it’s named for Fredric Mann, from Philadelphia.” Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: Your Support System

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

Have you noticed how help is often available just when you need it? A few years ago, a California artist carved a unique Christmas gift for his parents in Connecticut. It was a four-foot-tall statue of a hitchhiker, with thumb extended. (The perfect gift for the discriminating homeowner…) His gift was unusual, but his method of shipping the statue to his folks was even stranger. He simply set it beside the road and let it “hitch” its way across the continent. Around the statue’s neck he hung a sign bearing his parents’ New England address, and across its chest was printed the word “Connecticut” in large letters. Several weeks and some 2,500 miles later, unknown hands delivered the gift to the woodcarver’s parents in time for Christmas.

I find it heartening to remember that there are always those willing to help. And it’s true regardless of the circumstance. There is someone willing to extend a hand, lend an ear or share a heart. Whether you need temporary assistance or your life has experienced a meltdown, there is someone who wants to help. Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: How to Have a Life of Joy

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

Do you know how to have a life of joy?

A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, “Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die you will have my remains cremated.” “And what,” his friend asked, “do you want me to do with your ashes?” The businessman said, “Just put them in an envelope and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service and write on the envelope, `NOW YOU HAVE EVERYTHING!’”

Paying taxes is not usually a joy. But GIVING can be joyful. We pay the taxes because we have to. But when we CHOOSE to give time or money, then giving can add to our overall happiness. Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: Find An Excuse to Love

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

“Some children just need more love.” I don’t know how many times I heard Mrs. Tucker say that.

Mrs. Tucker was a 73-year-old woman who worked with me in an after-school daycare program that paid me a much-needed stipend while in graduate school. She rarely missed an opportunity to show warmth and affection to a child. Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: No More Problem

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

One man exclaimed to his friend, “I just had another fight with my wife!”

“Oh, yeah?” the friend said. “And how did this one end?”

“When it was over,” he replied, “she came to me on her hands and knees.” Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: Laughing During Tough Times

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

Laughter and tears are part of living. But do you find enough time for laughter? I am not asking if you experience lots of good times. Of course we should laugh during the happy times. But do you also laugh during the difficult times?

Erma Bombeck is known for her humorous books, but she wrote one that covered a more serious topic: cancer in children. The book is titled, I WANT TO GROW HAIR, I WANT TO GROW UP, I WANT TO GO TO BOISE (Harper and Row, 1989). Erma talks with numerous children with cancer and learns important life lessons from them. She learns, for instance, that cancer survivors know how to laugh. Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: And Then Some

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

How wonderful it would be if there were a simple formula for success! “Follow these steps and you will be successful in business, as a parent, as a student, in your vocation or in any endeavor you attempt.”

I think of the man who was honored as “Businessperson of the Year.” At the presentation dinner, a newspaper reporter asked him, “To what do you owe your great success and prosperity?” Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: Touching Moments

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

I read that an insurance company survey revealed that spouses who kiss their mates in the morning will probably live five years longer than those who don’t. It also showed that the kissing mate will have fewer auto accidents and up to 50% less time lost from work due to illness. I won’t begin to interpret what all this means, except that it seems that those people in intimate relationships seem to be happier and healthier.

But what about that “touching moment” — that kiss? Is touching also important? Read more

Steve Goodier Wisdom: Under Construction

In this inspirational article, master storyteller, Steve Goodier, shares a key piece of life wisdom . Enjoy!

I have been on a self-improvement program most of my life. Though I realize I am continually under construction and will never be fully completed in a lifetime, I relate to the poet who set these words to paper:

“Your task is to build a better world,” Read more

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